Your Sunlight
by Ashi Ruby
Summary: When Chairman Orochimaru dies in an accident, his closest subordinate Kabuto falls into a deep depression. However, when the others of Snake Creations start to give up on him, secretary Sakura refuses to let him stay in the dark. A KabuSaku AU fic.
1. Part One

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or the song Shattered by Trading Yesterday, whose lyrics is lightly used in this.

Author's Note: After listening to this song multiple times in a row, it inspired me to write this. But before I forget, I have to make a dedication.

To crazyhighlander/Yakushi-hime, whose deviation .KabuSaku. Music to Live By gave me a lot to think about, and thanks to those thoughts I created this. So this fic is dedicated to you.

And now, onto the fic!

Your Sunlight

_There's a light, there's a sun  
Taking all these shattered ones  
To the place we belong  
And his love will conquer all_

_Yesterday I died; tomorrow's bleeding  
Fall into your sunlight _

Part One

The news came in at 5:04am on Tuesday, before the morning's shift was to begin. Instead of the soothing sounds of the CD that played every morning, the offices of Snake Creations was filled with the sounds of tears, grieving, and sad apologies of mistakes made in sadness. Soon it became too much and the shift ended before it could even begin.

"We will handle the funeral services. I'm sure you will all be busy with the business," said Miss Tsunade of Fireside Cremation that very day, leaving her card on the secretary desk, "We'll be ready by Thursday for the wake. Have a good day." It wasn't the most pleasant sight, seeing that card, but regrettably no one had a choice but to look at that card and hope for the best.

After all, it was their chairman being buried.

"We'll give you a month to get things together. With this unexpected event, I'm sure you need that much time at least to find a replacement at least," said Chairman Fugaku of Uchiha Corp, "The fellow Chairmen are in agreement with me, so please, take some time finding someone worthy of filling the empty position."

Too bad, in the eyes of the subordinates, there was really no one better than Chairman Orochimaru to run Snake Creations.

* * *

By 5:16pm Thursday, things had calmed down for the subordinates to let out a sigh of small relief. The funeral was sweet, despite being extremely depressing, and by 3:00pm the Snake Creations building was empty save the ones that were meant to be there. The subordinates, the residents, the ones that now had to keep Chairman Orochimaru's business alive.

"Whew...I must admit, I'm at least relieved that the funeral is over. At least now the Chairman can rest peacefully instead of being moved from place to place," said Naruto Uzumaki, one of the key designers, as he loosened the black tie from around his neck. Next to him was Choji Akimichi, the supervisor in charge of Snake Creations' distributions, snacking on a bag of chips. "It is a relief. But still, it's not the same. Not having him here," he said between his munches.

Tenten Mochi, the lead designer next to Naruto, opened her brown eyes, her head resting on her folded arms. "Yeah...and now we have to try our best to run the company our own. I wonder if we really can," she said softly. From the corner of the room, sitting on a windowsill where the sunset was starting to pour in, Shikamaru Nara, the company's delivery man, let out a small chuckle, "Of course we will. After all, it was the Chairman that trained us. Although it will be troublesome, running a company by ourselves. Let's face it, there's really no one that can really replace him."

"Well, there is someone close that can," said the soft voice of Shino Aburame, the silent supervisor of production.

"Yes, there is. But for today, let's leave him alone, all right? Right now, let him grieve on his own," spoke up Sakura Haruno, the secretary to Chairman Orochimaru and Snake Creations itself. She looked towards the stairs that lead to the rooms where they stayed, "Kabuto was the closest to the Chairman. It's only natural he is the one most affected by the Chairman's death."

* * *

Locked in his studio, Kabuto Yakushi, the often proclaimed Vice-Chairman of Snake Creations, took another drink of his sake, staring out the window in the direction of the graveyard. "Chairman Orochimaru...it wasn't your time," he muttered softly, squinting at a lukewarm effort to block out the blinding sundown.

A knock came on the door, followed by the voice of Naruto, "Hey Kabuto! Aren't you going to come and get dinner?" The silver-haired man looked at the door, then at the fridge and microwave he kept. He had no reason to leave. Not tonight. Not for awhile.

"No. Go and eat."

"Ya sure?"

"Yeah."

Naruto looked at the door skeptically, then at Sakura with a quizzical look before walking past and going back downstairs. The rosette sighed softly, staring at the door, "I'll save you a plate, in case you change your mind."

Kabuto listened to Sakura's footsteps retreat and he sighed, returning his attention back out the window, taking another swig of his sake. It was the only food he really needed that night, although by morning he will surely regret it. Inwardly, however, he really didn't care.

* * *

Think of Snake Creations of being a design firm. Pick one, and imagine it from there. I'm going with graphic design though, since that's my field of study. Anyway, that's the end of Part One. Hopefully you'll stay turned for Part Two!

Note: No, this is not going to be an OroKabu story in anyway! In this, Orochimaru and Kabuto have like a father-son relationship, and yes, the relationships for all the characters are going to be explained later in the story. This is a KabuSaku AU story!


	2. Part Two

Part Two

Three days had passed since Chairman Orochimaru's funeral, and the team began to work hard arranging things in the matter they needed it. The office where their beloved chairman once worked was sheltered off, only to be entered when paperwork was needed. The main workplace of the building soon became filled with cards and flowers of condolence from partner companies, soon becoming too much and the objects were soon placed into the chairman office like a second parlor.

"Good morning everyone," Shino said, walking into the main workplace. Sakura looked up from behind her computer screen, "Good morning Shino. Hey, can you sort through those papers over there for me? Sadly I'm so swamped with these papers. Chairman Orochimaru never did organize the papers correctly." He nodded, taking the pile she pointed to and going to his desk to sort.

"He wasn't the most organized person."

"Despite me putting them in almost perfect order in the first place."

"It was just how he worked."

"I know, which is why I never complained and not complaining now. I'm just too swamped with them right now to get them taken care of by myself."

The phone began to rang and Sakura's hand made a fast move to pick it up. "Snake Creations, Sakura Haruno speaking...oh, Miss Hyuuga! One moment, I'll transfer your call over to Naruto's desk," she said, pressing the receiver to her shoulder and pushing a few buttons on the base, "Hey Naruto! Hinata Hyuuga is on the phone for you! Line one!"

The blonde male practically fell out of his chair at Sakura's yelling, but quickly regained composer and grabbed his phone, "Hinata! How are you?...I'm good, all things considering. So, what's going on?...Wait, what? A merger?...Wow...Well, I don't know Hinata; we are still trying to figure things out now that Chairman Orochimaru's passed on...Yeah, I'll talk to them about it, of course...I'll let you know later, okay? All right...talk to you later Hinata."

As soon as he hung up the phone, Naruto leaned back in his chair only to fall out at the surprise arrival of Choji, Tenten, and Shikamaru surrounding him. "Geez, don't scare me like that you idiots! I was busy thinking!" he yelled, getting back into his seat with a glare towards his colleagues. "You were thinking?" Tenten said sarcastically, flicking Naruto's forehead before going to her desk.

"Gotta admit, that is an odd concept for you. At least outside of real work," Choji said, tossing his now empty bag of chips in the trash.

"Anyway, what's this I hear about a merger?" Shikamaru asked, leaning against Naruto's desk, raising his voice to yell to the occupants across the room, "Sakura, Shino! You may want to come and hear this!"

The two soon joined the rest of the team, and Naruto let out a sigh, "Well...Hinata had called to ask me if we would be interested in a merger with Hyuuga Enterprises. And what Chairman Hiashi is offering is very generous, as long as we are willing to work for him as a subsidiary of his company. Still, I don't know...we have made plans to try and run this company as a team. So..."

Everyone went silent, pondering the news that suddenly filled their office. The second hand clicked by, the only sound heard as each was lost in their own thoughts, yet all working together in unison, thinking of Snake Creations, and what Chairman Orochimaru would do.

"I think...maybe we should take it. I mean, if the offer is generous enough to where we can at least finish all our current projects before--" Tenten said, but was quickly cut off. "Are you nuts? Didn't we make an agreement that we would run this company together on the day Chairman Orochimaru died?" Shikamaru stated, glaring at the bun-haired woman.

"Yes, but let's face it! We're not as talented as the Chairman was! We don't know the first thing about running this company on our own!"

"So? We still have about a month to figure it out."

"Look at the reality, Shikamaru!"

"You need to look at it, Tenten."

As the two bickered and the others tried their best to be silent referees, Sakura sighed and wrote out a small note on a piece of paper before heading out of the workplace. _'I need a cup of tea and a girl gab session. That's the cure for early morning stress,'_ she thought, pulling her button-close sweater tighter around her.

* * *

Kabuto groaned, holding his aching head from another night of sake drinking. As much as the drink numbed him, the hangover come the morning was not a welcomed addition. Neither was the litter of bottles trailing from the windowsill to his futon that he had to sadly pick up.

A knock came on his door and he groaned again, glaring at the door with the urge to burn through it and the occupant on the other side. "What is it?" he asked irritated, sitting up on his futon with slow difficulty.

"Hey. We need to talk to you about something important," came the voice of Choji, "So can you come down to the workplace?"

"Can it wait?"

"Not really. Hyuuga Enterprises wants to discuss a merger with our company, and we need you to join us to discuss it."

A silver brow raised in question, "A merger?"

"Yeah. So are you going to join us?"

Kabuto looked away from the door, towards the window, staying silent for a few moments before speaking, "Not now. I'll think about it and let you know what I think about it."

Choji sighed, muttering something under his breath before turning around and walking away. "That was a waste of time," he mumbled as he walked down the stairs.

* * *

Sakura stared at the flowers around her, as she always did whenever she came to the Yamanaka Flower Shop. It was a peaceful place, compared to the busyness of the Snake Creations building.

And of course, her best friend Ino, the daughter of the owner, was the best company.

"Here we go. Black tea with lemon. Just as you like it," the blonde woman said, bringing in a tray with two cups of tea on top of it. "Thank you Ino," Sakura replied, taking a sip of the tea, "Ah...this hits the spot."

Ino laughed softly, brushing her ponytail behind her back before sipping from her cup, "Based on that reaction, I can tell things haven't been so great at the office." Sakura's emerald eyes stared blankly at her friend, then at her tea, at the flowers, out the window, back to Ino with a long sigh. "Yes, you can say that. Ever since the passing of Chairman Orochimaru, nothing has been the same," she said softly and slowly, her fingers tapping edgily on her cup.

The blonde stopped smiling and her face turned to one full of concern, "I'm listening, Saki." Sakura sighed again, sipping her tea before speaking, "Well, before I came here today, Naruto's girlfriend, Hinata Hyuuga, called the office. We found out it was about her father, Chairman Hiashi, wanting to make a merger deal between Snake Creations and Hyuuga Enterprises."

"Wow, that's really big right there! Hyuuga Enterprises is one of the biggest companies ever."

"Yes it is."

"So what are you guys going to do?"

"We don't know. When I left, the others were watching Tenten and Shikamaru fighting over it."

Sakura stared out the window, towards the direction of the Snake Creations building, "The sound of a merger is a great idea. I mean, since now it is just us, but still...we made a vow to run the company on our own. After all, Snake Creations was the Chairman's vision, his creation, and it is up to us to keep it alive."

Ino sighed softly, bringing her cup to her lips. "What you need," she said, taking a sip, "is a new chairman to take over." Sakura nodded in agreement, but her eyes showed the apprehensiveness behind the idea. "Yes, I agree. But the only problem is...the only one that is good enough for the job is still grieving," she said.

"Kabuto is still locking himself in his studio?"

"Yes...he hasn't come out since we came back from the funeral. I know he was the closest to Chairman Orochimaru, but the level of grief...I feel that this is more than the casual grief that the rest of us experienced."

"You think?"

"Sarcasm noted, Ino."

Sakura stared at the flowers, emerald eyes softened at the sight of the beautiful colors. "That day I held his hand tightly, trying to take away some of that grief. But it wasn't enough. He's still locked away, and who knows when he may come out to the real world," she said softly, driftingly, "Kabuto is perfect to follow in Chairman Orochimaru's footsteps. If only..."

Ino started to laugh, "You're sounding like a lovesick schoolgirl, Sakura! Ah, I'm envious of you, crushing on your coworker like that." Sakura blushed bright red, "I-ino! It's nothing like that!"

"Suuure it isn't. Face it Sakura, you have more on your heart than just his wellbeing and the thoughts of him becoming Chairman Kabuto."

Sakura continued to blush, lips pouting slightly as she drank her tea, "You are cruel, Ino-pig."

"Love you too, Forehead."

* * *

Finally after a few days, I finished Part Two! Part Three will be out shortly!


	3. Part Three

Part Three

"Kabuto, open up! You've been in there a freaking week!" Naruto yelled, pounding on the door of the locked studio, "Time to come out and help out with the work!"

No answer came, and Naruto growled in annoyance. Around him, Choji, Shikamaru, and Tenten sorted through the different sets of keys trying to find the second set of studio keys Chairman Orochimaru had created just in case. Shino did his silent best to keep Naruto calmed while Sakura stayed back, staring at the door, trying to stare past it and towards the lone occupant.

"Kabuto! If you don't answer the damn door, we'll break it down!" Naruto yelled, pounding on the door again, although more restrained by Shino's hand gripping his wrist. No answer came again and the blonde became angrier.

"Found the key," Tenten said, holding up a silver key with a "K" etched into it, "so step back for a minute." She stepped forward, placed the key into the lock, and opened the door. Naruto quickly charged in with the others following quickly behind him.

"Hey Kabuto! Whoa...what the hell happened in here?" Naruto asked, shocked by the mess he saw around the studio. Sake bottles littered the floor, plates from meals were piled onto a desk still covered in food, and clothes were in mini-piles instead of the clothes hamper that rested in a corner of the studio. All eyes turned towards the futon where they saw the back-turned figure of their co-worker.

"Kabuto? Hey, wake up," Shikamaru said.

"Come on, you can't keep hiding up here! We need to start working!" Tenten exclaimed, hands on her hips.

"This is a team effort," Shino added, gaining unanimous agreement, "You're part of the team, and you are needed to participate."

Kabuto was silent, back still turned to the group. Naruto growled, stepping forward and pulling at the collar of Kabuto's shirt. "Naruto! What are you--?" Sakura began to protest, but was silenced by her co-worker's outburst.

"Damn it, you idiot! Wake up and start working with us! You can't lock yourself up in here forever! You are part of the Snake Creations team, and we need to you work with us!"

"And why should I!?" Kabuto spat back, glaring at Naruto coldly, "Why should I bother working for a company that we will never be able to save!?" He pushed his co-worker off of him, sitting up and glaring at the entire group.

"Face it. No one could run Snake Creations like Chairman Orochimaru. Now that he's dead, there's no way in hell we can ever succeed in running this place. So give it up. With or without me, Snake Creations is going to fail when the month allowance is done. Now go away and leave me alone."

His piece said, the silver-haired man turned and laid back down on his futon, turning away from the others. Naruto seethed, stomping away in anger with a mumble of a few words under his breath. Slowly the other members of the team began to leave, until Sakura and Kabuto were the only ones left in the studio.

The rosette bit her lip, wanting to speak, but opt for silence as she looked around the room. With a soft sigh, she knelt down and started to pick up the empty sake bottles, depositing them in the trashcan she found on the other side of the door. Kabuto's ears perked up at the sound of glass clinking, and turned to watch the woman picking up the mess.

"I'll clean it up myself later."

Sakura remained silent as she started to scrape the food off the plates, making a mental note to wash them later. He raised his voice, sitting up on the futon, "I said I'll clean it up myself later."

She was still silent as she picked up the strewed clothes and tossed them into the hamper, then returned to picking up the sake bottles she found underneath them. Kabuto glared behind his glasses, standing up and walking towards the woman. "Sakura, knock it off!" he yelled, gripping and jerking her wrist, causing her to drop the sake bottle she held.

The bottle fell with a clunk to the carpet floor, to Sakura's surprise not shattering. She let out a sigh of relief, "It didn't break. Good." With her unoccupied hand, she bent down and picked it up, depositing it in the trash, then stood still, not fighting the tight grip around her dainty wrist.

"Why in the world aren't you listening to me? I said I would clean up later."

"Those too occupied with the dead can't be bothered with the objects of their living counterpart."

Kabuto was taken aback by Sakura's blunt statement, the grip on her wrist loosened to the point where she could escape. She stood still, unmoving, wrist limp in his hand as she stared at the floor and eyes sheltered by her pink locks. "We already know that we can never run the company as great as Chairman Orochimaru," she said softly, "However...that doesn't mean we're going to give up without a fight or without trial."

"After all...he never gave up on us."

Sakura's hand fell to her side as she looked up, emerald eyes staring straight into surprised onyx, "We were all just orphans without hope. No chance of ever getting a true home, a true job, a true life. All we had was the chances of luck given to us by the Education For Every Child Act. But Chairman Orochimaru...he gave us a home. He gave us a job here. He gave us a life that none of us thought we would have at the brink of nothing. He never gave up on us...and we're not going to give up on Snake Creations, his company, his legacy left in our hands."

She walked over to the clothes hamper, picking it up and placing it against her hip for balance, then grabbed the dirty plates and sat them on top. "I'll bring your laundry back later. It is that day for it. And I hope tonight you'll join us for dinner," she said, walking past him and towards the door. Kabuto watched as she walked out into the hallway and listened to her footsteps down the stairs.

"Sakura..."

* * *

The rest of the day was silent and awkward. Work was cut off early for no one could concentrate, so Sakura spent much of the day doing laundry or cooking, her two favorite chores when she wasn't doing secretarial duties. Kabuto locked up his studio again, only opening the door to allow the rosette to bring back his hamper. Dinner eventually came, with no chit-chat to be heard, and Kabuto's seat was once again empty. Almost everyone retired early to their own places, too much affected by the events of the day.

Everyone, except for Sakura.

With tray carefully in hand, she walked up the stairs to Kabuto's studio and stopped in front of his door. A deep breath, knock knock, "Kabuto? I brought you dinner. It may be a little cold, but you can always reheat it if it's not the temperature you like it."

No response came and Sakura's breath quickened without herself realizing it, "Kabuto?"

"Just sit it down. I'll get it in a few minutes."

She frowned, but did as told, her hands lingering on the tray. "I wish...you would come back Kabuto, and join us in the land of the living," she whispered, a few stray tears falling from her face and onto the wooden floor. She stood and turned on her heels, walking away towards the kitchen where she knew there was a mess to be cleaned up.

A few minutes later, Kabuto opened the door and lifted up the tray, a silver brow quirked at the sight of the droplet marks on the floor. "Is there a leak in here?" he asked in a mutter, then shrugged and went back inside, closing the door and locking it tightly.

* * *

Yay for KabuSaku, right? Anyway, Part Four will be coming soon!


	4. Part Four

Part Four

Sakura yawned at her desk, then returned back to her work, trying to organize the orders displayed on her computer screen.

"Hey, Tenten! Do you have the files over there for the Inuzuka Inc.'s Pet Food project?"

"Yeah. Which part do you need?"

"Just need to know, what date did we complete Part One?"

"Um...January 26th it says here."

Sakura nods, "Yeah, it matches. Thanks Tenten!" She began to type furiously on her keypad, stopping to shift through the notes next to her computer, then going back to typing.

"Wow, Sakura. You're on a roll!" Choji exclaimed, "Keep that up and you'll be done before lunchtime." Sakura smiled softly, "That was the plan. I wanted to finish quickly so I could go to the market today and pick up stuff for an excellent dinner."

Choji practically drooled, "Mmm...I love the sound of that! Your meals are always the best!" Sakura chuckled lightly then returned to her work, typing furiously again.

Suddenly the office became quiet as footsteps echoed into the office. All eyes turned towards the entryway into the main workplace. Sakura's fingers became still over the keys, shaking as her lips whispered the name of the new occupant.

"Kabuto..."

The silver-haired man, dressed as if ready for work, surveyed the space, noticing that everyone was there and was working, although now their attention was completely devoted to him. He sighed, "All right. I'm only going to say this one, so listen up everyone."

His fist clenched, "If you are so hellbent to save the company, then make the call over to Hyuuga Enterprises. Take the merger. At least with that, we will have leadership and still be able to work the same as we always have."

Shocked looks and gasps overtook the other members of the room. "What!? Are you crazy Kabuto? You're talking about selling the company to another! Chairman Orochimaru would never approve of this!" Naruto yelled, standing up from his desk.

"I do admit, I was for the merger at first," Tenten said, "but we did make a promise to run this company on our own. And we all came to agreement on that the day after we received word of the merger."

"Snake Creations was left to us by Chairman Orochimaru to take care of. It's his legacy," Shino added quietly.

Kabuto gritted his teeth, "Stop being foolish! Chairman Orochimaru is dead! No one in the entire world can freaking replace him as Chairman of Snake Creations because no one could run it like him! Especially not any of us! We were just subordinates, under his lead! Face the damn facts! Chairman Hiashi can run Snake Creations better than any of us! So if you want to save this company, take the merger!"

He ran back upstairs, leaving the rest of the group in anger, shock, and confusion. Sakura sighed, folding her hands in on her desk. _'Kabuto...if only I...if only we could truly know what you're going through right now. You must be so torn right now,'_ she thought, closing her eyes to the rest of the room.

* * *

Sakura spent much of the afternoon and early evening creating a pot roast for the team, having it stewing in her Crockpot for several hours. On top of fresh rolls from the local bakery and homemade mashed potatoes, she felt like she truly outdid herself on her meal.

If only everyone enjoyed her work. Dinner was awkward at best and once again Kabuto's seat was empty.

The sound of forks hitting ceramic plates were the only sound that echoed off the walls of the dining room, and Sakura shifted slightly in her chair. She was kind of hoping for compliments on her meal from her coworkers, but instead received nothing in return for her work.

She bit her lip for a moment before taking a bite of her pot roast, _'Well...I'm sure they like it though. It's just the situation right now that's making everyone so silent and awkward.'_

Suddenly everyone's ears perked at the sound of a plate crashing against the wall and a chair hitting hard against the wooden floor. All eyes turned toward Naruto, who now stood seething in anger, staring at Kabuto's seat. "That jerk...the god damn jerk!" he yelled, balling his hand into his fist.

Sakura sighed and stood up, walking towards a nearby closet and pulled out a broom and dustpan. Moving towards the mess to clean it, she sighed again, "I know my food may not always be the best, but telling me is better than throwing it against the wall. Especially at the cost of one of our best plates."

Naruto released a held breath, "Sorry Sakura...but I'm just so angry! That freaking Kabuto and what he said about Chairman Orochimaru and Snake Creations...it keeps pissing me off!"

Sakura tossed the food and glass into the trash can, "I know it irritates you, but there are better ways to express your anger." No one else spoke and she softly sighed as she gathered her plate, "I think I lost my appetite for now." Naruto watched as the rosette entered the kitchen and released an annoyed growl, "Well, I did a good job. Ugh...I think I need to take a long walk."

Tenten stood up, "I'll go with you. I need the fresh air too."

"I think we all need it," Shino added calmly.

* * *

The night fell and Kabuto emerged from his studio only when he knew everyone would be asleep.

He made his steps carefully, quietly, down into the main workplace and towards the office where Chairman Orochimaru used to spend each working hour inside. He wasn't surprised to see all the gifts inside, but still inwardly he was annoyed by them, pushing them aside to get to what he wanted.

The windowsill and upon it, a dust-covered CD player still plugged into the wall. Kabuto's lips remained still as his hand moved towards the player to brush off the dust, but suddenly he became still at the sound of a footstep in the doorway.

"It hasn't been touched since Chairman Orochimaru's passing."

Kabuto turned his head, "Sakura. Why are you awake at this hour?" Sakura only smiled softly and held up two plates, "Are you hungry? I reheated your plate too."

A thin silver brow raised as he grabbed his plate from her hand, "You didn't eat earlier?" She lowered her gaze, "A little, but not much...to tell the truth, not many of us did after Naruto threw his plate at the wall."

No more words were said as Kabuto took his seat in the windowsill and Sakura in one of the chairs next to the wall. Forks echoed off their plates as they hit with each bite of food, bringing the same feeling of awkwardness to Sakura as she felt earlier.

"This is pretty good," Kabuto said softly.

"Thank you. I'm glad to hear at least one person likes it," Sakura said with a smile, a small laugh in her voice, "You know, I've never been confident in my cooking ability. I've always been afraid that none of you would like my cooking, no matter how much I tried."

Kabuto turned his attention from his plate to her, "I always thought your food was fine. I still remember the first meal you made for us. It was spaghetti and meatballs, and to tell the truth...that became my favorite meal of yours."

The rosette became grateful at that moment for the darkness, for if it was the daylight, her cheeks would be as bright as her hair, "Well, thank you Kabuto. I'm glad you enjoy that so much. Hmm...we haven't had that in so long...maybe I'll make that tomorrow."

Silence enveloped them again, Kabuto turning his attention towards the window and Sakura still blushing from his revelation placed upon her.

"The CD..."

Sakura looked up curiously, "Hmm?"

"Chairman Orochimaru always played the same CD everyday. He never changed it, never took it out, never stopped it until all the tracks were done," Kabuto said, placing his now-empty plate down on the floor and leaning over the dusty player, "He never really explained why he just played this CD though."

Sakura watched him as he turned on the player, starting the CD to play its first track. She placed her plate to the side and folded her knees in onto the chair, wrapping her arms around them. "Chairman Orochimaru always believed that listening to music right before the start of the workday would keep us going throughout the entire day. But you're right...I don't know why just that CD. Maybe the songs have some connections to him and all of us...I don't know," she said softly, playing with her skirt softly with her fingertips.

"To tell the truth...I never heard the first few tracks of the CD. I usually come in around the four or fifth song."

"It's the third one for me...I don't think anyone has heard the entire CD except for Chairman Orochimaru."

"I think we'll be the first ones."

"Yeah..."

Sakura yawned, catching Kabuto's attention again. "If you're tired, you should go to bed and get some sleep," he said sternly. She shook her head, smiling softly, "No. I don't want to miss out on this chance to spend time with you."

He was taken aback by the sudden statement. Sakura yawned again, "We've all been worried about you. We've been wanting you to come back and work with us again, just like you used to before Chairman Orochimaru passed away. But I can understand why you can't."

She stared at him with sleepy emerald orbs, "You're still mourning. You can't accept that he's gone. You were the closest to him, so you were the most affected by his sudden death. I can understand that, truly I can. So that's why I truly and deeply enjoy this time I have with you right now, because...I don't know when you may be ready to join us again."

Kabuto could only stare in bewilderment as Sakura began to drift off to sleep. "We're going to keep trying to get you to join us, but for now...I'll enjoy this..."

No more words came from her lips, and suddenly only the music filled the office. The silver-haired man continued to stare at his coworker, now sound asleep folded up in her seat with a small smile stretched across her face. "Sakura...why are you..." he tried to whisper, but he stopped, nothing else coming to him.

He sighed softly, standing up and turning off the music, then took off his jacket. Careful of the plate on the floor, he walked over to Sakura and placed the jacket over her shoulders, his hands lingering over her. _'Sakura...you're doing so much for me...and I don't get why, but...'_ he thought, leaning in and placing a gentle kiss to her forehead.

"Thank you."

* * *

Sakura woke up the next morning in the office alone, but extremely warm and inhaling a musky scent of faded cologne.

"Kabuto?" she questioned, looking around the room, but quickly noticed that it was his jacket surrounding her shoulders. She blushed lightly, pulling the jacket a little closer around her. _'Wow, he gave me his jacket to keep me warm overnight instead of disturbing me in my sleep,'_ she thought, _'That was really sweet...but now he's probably locked up in his studio again.'_

She sighed, closing her eyes, _'If only there was a way we could get him to let go of Chairman Orochimaru and come back to the world of the living. I thought possibly yesterday he was breaking through thanks to the music, but--'_

She opened her eyes in realization, "The music! The CD! That's it! As a final farewell to Chairman Orochimaru and a new start to Snake Creations, we can host a little concert in the park playing all the songs from the CD. And hopefully with this concert, possibly Kabuto can finally let him go and rejoin us. I want...we need him..."

She smiled, running over the details in her head and counting them out on her fingers, never realizing the figure standing outside of the office's doorway.

* * *

A knock came on Kabuto's door. "Who is it?" he questioned sleepily, half-expecting it to be Sakura returning his jacket in a state of flustered appreciation.

"It's Shino."

"What is it?"

"I want to talk to you about becoming our Chairman."

* * *

Dun dun dun! Anyway, a cute moment between Kabuto and Sakura, and now Kabuto possibly being Chairman? Ooo, getting exciting, huh? Anyway, Part Five will be out soon with the conclusion to the story (yes, it will be long, but sweet and completely worth it, I promise!). And yes, after this story is done I will go back to work on Hey Sound and The Black Rose, so look forward to updates!


	5. Part Five

Author's Note: Here it is, the last part to Your Sunlight! Enjoy!

Part Five

Kabuto ran shaken fingers through his hair, his mind puzzled by the conversation he had moments ago with Shino. "Chairman...me?" he muttered aloud, almost finding the thought unbelievable. The words between them ran through his head: about the prospects of becoming Chairman, how proud Chairman Orochimaru would be of everyone, of this and that really to everything.

How the idea really came to be soon became prominent in his mind, and thoughts quickly turned to the young woman he left sleeping downstairs, with his jacket to keep warm and her dreams accompanied by music. _'Sakura...she is really trying so hard, and for me...'_ he thought, drifting off to stare out the window, thoughts turning towards the pros and cons.

_'Could I really become Chairman?'_

_

* * *

_"All right, let's set this up for Saturday! That's just three days away!"

"But Sakura, can we really get everything set up in that amount of time?"

"Sure we can Tenten. We can play right outside the building, since we have the park pretty much as our front lawn. We can print out the tabs we need, and rent the instruments from the music store across town. You guys still know how to play the guitar, drums, and keyboard right?"

"Yeah, although it's been years since we've played. Not since like high school."

"True, but it'll be worth it, right? For something this special."

Tenten sighed through curved lips, "Yeah, it will be. Just get those instruments soon. My fingers are good on the letters, but rusty on the music keys."

* * *

Saturday soon came and everything was set. The group was practiced (as they could be) with their rented instruments and equipment and had them ready to go in the park right outside of the Snake Creations building, perfect for any passerby and for the spiritual sake of their beloved Chairman to watch.

It was also in perfect view for the reclusive Kabuto to watch as well, from with the combines of his locked studio. Sakura sighed softly as she looked herself over in the mirror, making sure her white dress wasn't wrinkled and her black leggings weren't dusty. _'If only he would join us,'_ she thought, _'But at least if he could hear the music, it'll be just as wonderful.'_

"Hey, Sakura! The concert is going to begin soon! Come on! That Ino woman is waiting for you too!" Choji yelled opposite her door, and Sakura let out a sigh before standing straight. "All right. Time for a final good bye, and a new start to the future. Here's good luck to us...and good luck to you, Chairman Orochimaru," she told her reflection before turning around towards the door.

* * *

The concert went off without a hitch and soon spectators were crowding around, all drawn in by the music and curiosity. Most stayed, standing around the makeshift stage or laying out on the grass, while some would stay for a few minutes before continuing their walk towards home, the store, or whatever their final destination may be. In the background, Sakura, Ino, and Shino watched as Naruto, Tenten, Shikamaru, and Choji played each song from the CD in order, now on Track Five as they could remember it.

"This has be a great idea, Sakura."

"Thank you Shino. It looks like they're enjoying this too. And I hope there are other eyes watching."

"Like the eyes of Kabuto?"

Sakura blushed at the tone Ino spoke those words, knowing full well what the blonde was implying, "Ino! Hush it! I do want Kabuto to watch the concert, but I also meant Chairman Orochimaru! This concert is for him as well! We want him to watch us in the other world and see that we are bringing Snake Creations in the future ourselves, just as he wants us too!"

Ino just smirked, "Uh-huh, sure. That's just one reason you want us to believe."

"Ino-pig!"

"Oi, chill. And Sakura, can you tell me this? What's up with the outfit? I mean, leggings with a summer dress and sandals? Seriously, I know you try to be conservative, but still, isn't that a little too far and tacky?"

"I'm not a female, but I must confess...that outfit is weird," Shino spoke up at last, staying out of most of the "girl" talk. Sakura just smiled, "To tell the honest truth, you guys...I wore an outfit similar to this when I first met Chairman Orochimaru and Kabuto. If you noticed, Naruto is wearing black and white like I am."

The two looked at the blonde playing guitar as Sakura continued, "When we met Chairman Orochimaru and first came to Snake Creations, we both wore outfits just like this. Black and white. We thought that wearing neutral colors would impress him, until later on we learned that it wasn't what we wore, but it was our talents that truly won him over."

Sakura became quiet as she watched her coworkers perform now Track Six, remembering her first meetings with the two men that eventually changed her life forever.

"_Class, this is Orochimaru Taka. He is the chairman for Snake Creations, one of the top businesses in the world. He'll be in here observing our classes today, so make sure to be good!"_

"_Yes ma'am!"_

_Sakura leaned over to whisper into Naruto's ear, "Wow, first Chairman Fugaku and now Chairman Orochimaru! Our school is getting some really high-end people to come in and it's really great!"_

_Naruto nodded and whispered back, "Yeah! And we are so lucky that we are able to participate! I love the new Education For Every Child Act! We finally get the chance to--"_

"_Am I interrupting something?"_

_The two froze at the sound of the new voice and turned quickly to meet the strangely-colored eyes of Chairman Orochimaru. "No, not at all sir! We were discussing how much of an honor it is to have you in our class!" Sakura said honestly. Naruto nodded, "Yeah, and how great it is for us to participate since we're just--"_

_Sakura stepped on his foot under the desk, stopping the boy from speaking and causing him to yelp instead. Orochimaru only raised a brow, "Just what?"_

"_Oh, it's nothing, sir!"_

_He quirked a brow, then just smiled and walked past to a seat in the back of the room. Naruto mumbled an apology towards his rosette classmate and continued his studies, both unaware of the eyes observing them._

_That afternoon, during the lunch hour when the classroom dispersed, Sakura and Naruto stayed in the room. "Did you make the lunch today Sakura? Or did Miss Haruko make it 'cause you were busy with last-minute homework?" Naruto asked, opening his lunchbag to reveal his meal._

"_I made it. I know how much you love my meals over Miss Haruko's."_

"_Everyone loves your cooking over Miss Haruko's."_

_Sakura just laughed as she bit into her tuna salad, "I don't know about that. Hey, where's that picture you were working on? Are you close to finishing it?" Naruto nodded, pulling out his binder, "Yeah. Isn't it great? It'll look awesome once I can color it. I think I drew you pretty well too, since I usually don't draw girls."_

"_I say you did! Wow, I look so cool!"_

"_You look cool all the time."_

"_Well, true, but that's besides the point."_

"_Ego-boost!"_

_The two continued to laugh, chat, and eat, all the while unaware of Orochimaru's invisible presence in the room...at least until the man made motion to join the students for their meal._

"_Hello Sakura, Naruto."_

"_Eep! Oh, hello sir! We didn't know you were still here! We thought you possibly joined the teachers for lunch."_

"_But if you don't want to do that, you can join us. Sakura is a great cook, and she always leaves extra for me in my lunches!"_

_Sakura only blushed as Orochimaru smiled and joined them. "Thank you. Oh, what an interesting drawing. I see someone has a talent for art," he said, noticing the artpiece. Naruto nodded proudly, "I drew it, sir. I love to draw in my spare time, and right now I've been practicing drawing girls, using Sakura as my model."_

"_You did a great job. And this is a great lunch as well."_

"_Thank you sir...I try my best to make delicious meals for everyone."_

"_And you always succeed! You're going to make someone a fantastic wife someday, even if it's me."_

"_Na-naruto!"_

_Orochimaru chuckled, then turned his attention to the arrival of the teacher._

"_Oh, Chairman! I see you're getting to know a couple of our students. This is Sakura Haruno and Naruto Uzumaki," the teacher said, "They are here on the Education For Every Child Act, and we are extremely proud of having them here. They are extremely bright and talented students, and we are glad to have them as part of our graduating class this year."_

_Sakura's face blanched and fell, and Naruto looked down at his desk, much to the confusion of the businessman. "I'm sorry sir...I didn't mean to deceive you earlier, but...Naruto and I aren't proud of revealing that we are orphans going to classes under the Act," Sakura said softly._

"_We are often ridiculed by the other students for being what we are," Naruto added, "And sadly after we graduate with them, we're going to be stuck with nothing and nowhere to go. Being almost 18 and an orphan doesn't leave us much options...especially when we want to be together, since that's all we got..."_

_Sakura gripped Naruto's hand under the desk, the two tuning out everything around them, even Orochimaru's sympathetic gaze upon their hands._

_Soon school was let out and the pair eventually returned to the foster care home they knew for so many years, ready to do their chores, eat their meals, finish their homework, and worry about what their future may possibly bring._

_Until they saw a sleek, black car parked in front. "Special visitors?" Naruto asked, which only earned him a shrug from his best friend. Quickening their steps, the two ran inside the home and into the living room, meeting a familiar sight. "Sir!" the two yelled together._

"_Oh, welcome home Naruto, Sakura. I see that you have already met Mr. Orochimaru Taka, the chairman for Snake Creations," Miss Haruko said sweetly, "He's here to discuss with me the prospects of taking in possible interns for his business."_

_Orochimaru smirked, "Actually, Miss Haruko, as I was going to say, I already had two in mind that I wanted to bring in. I can already see they are going to have great talents, once they are fully trained. And of course, they will have full room and board at my company, and have their education paid for."_

_He stood up, approaching the two surprised students. "Sakura Haruno, Naruto Uzumaki. Once you graduate from high school, would you like to come and work for me at Snake Creations?"_

_The pair looked at each other, then smiled widely, "We accept, Chairman Orochimaru!"_

_

* * *

__A few months later, Orochimaru brought both of them to Snake Creations, fresh out of high school and ready to relax for the summer before starting their fall studies. "Now, you two aren't the only ones working for me. Once we arrive upstairs, you'll also meet fellow intern Kabuto Yakushi. He is like you: an orphan with surprising talent but no outlet for it until I brought him here. I hope that you three will work along well together," he explained as the trio walked into the building and up the stairs to the main workplace._

_Once inside, Naruto and Sakura took notice of the empty desks and all the paperwork. "Where is everyone? Shouldn't a business as big as Snake Creations have more people than...no one?" Naruto asked._

"_Right now, everyone is on a group lunch hour. Hopefully they will return soon enough ready to go," Orochimaru said, "Kabuto! Come on out of the office! There are two people I want you to meet!"_

_A few moments later, a tall man, not appearing to be much older than they were, stood in the doorway, silver hair pulled back in a ponytail and dressed in black and white much like they were. "Hey there Kabuto!" Naruto said with a foxy grin, his hand extended to him, "My name is Naruto Uzumaki! Pleased to meet you! And this girl next to me is Sakura Haruno. She's being a little shy right now, but she's happy to meet you too!"_

_Kabuto glared at his hand, and scoffed at him, "This is a place of business, not for childish antics. You should be honored to be chosen by Chairman Orochimaru." Orochimaru shook a pale finger, "Nuh-uh, Kabuto. Naruto and Sakura have every right to live within the ways of their old life as they want to."_

_To the sudden surprise of Naruto and Orochimaru, Sakura stepped forward, hand extended professionally towards Kabuto. A light blush on her cheeks, she smiled, "I'm pleased to meet you Kabuto. I hope that I will be able to serve you, Chairman Orochimaru, and Snake Creations well."_

_Kabuto blinked for a moment, then smirked and took her hand firmly, "Glad to have you aboard, Sakura."_

_

* * *

_"Yo, Sakura, you still there?" Ino asked, waving her hand in front of her best friend's face. Sakura broke from her daydream, only to realize that the group was on Track Ten and that Ino had been calling her name for the past three minutes.

"Sorry, Ino. Were you saying something?"

"...Nevermind."

Kabuto watched the group play from his studio, listening to each track and numbering them off. "Track Twelve now...three more tracks to go," he said softly, sipping on a cup of coffee, "Quite a turnout down there, I admit. I didn't think so many people would be staying, but I guess general curiosity."

His eyes scanned the crowd, until he noticed the familiar sight of Sakura's unusual pink hair. _'The mastermind,'_ he thought, his hand unconsciously falling onto the jacket he had lent her that night.

_'Sakura...she's one unique woman...'_

The early evening came and finally the last song started to play. Close together, Naruto, Tenten, Choji, and Shikamaru either played or sat and waited for their turns to sing, while close by Sakura, Ino, and Shino stood next to the stage, like a united group, all with the same thought.

_'For Chairman Orochimaru. Good luck to you in the other world...and good bye...we'll never forget you, we promise.'_

Sakura looked up Kabuto's studio, noticing the man staring at them and sighed, _'Kabuto...join us soon...please...'_

The music picked up and the lyrics picked up their tempo and rate.

_And I've lost who I am_

_And I can't understand_

_Why my heart is so broken_

_Rejecting your love_

Sakura felt her heartbeat race as the lyrics continued.

_Without love gone wrong; lifeless words carry on_

_But I know, all I know's that the end's beginning_

_Who I am from the start_

_Take me home to my heart_

_Let me go and I will run_

_I will not be silent_

Her eyes widened, and her hands connected over her heart as she turned around, noticing that Kabuto was no longer into the windowsill. She started run to towards the Snake Creations building, much to the shock of the blonde next to her. "Hey, Sakura! Where are you going?" Ino asked, receiving no answer from the rosette.

_All this time_

_Spent in vain; wasted years wasted gain_

_All is lost but hope remains and this war's not over_

She ran up the stairs, past the main workplace and towards the locked studio. _'Kabuto...that's it...you're just...'_ she thought, panting heavily from the pace of her running.

_There's a light, there's a sun_

_Taking all these shattered ones_

_To the place we belong_

_And his love will conquer all_

She stopped in front of the studio and knocked loudly on the door, trying her best to catch her breath. She heard the unlocking of the door and it open, and Kabuto's curious voice, "Sakura? What's wrong? Why are you out of breath?"

Without a word, she wrapped her arms around him tightly, much to his shock. "You're shattered...Kabuto...you're shattered...that's it..." she said between her caught-up breaths. Confused by her words, he stood there, allowing her to hold him like she did.

"Sakura..."

Awkwardly, he wrapped his arms around her waist, hoping that he was doing the right thing at the moment. She caught her breath, relaxing as she held him tightly, able to finally speak at last.

"Join me...please..."

"For what?"

"Stargazing...on the roof. It's something...Chairman Orochimaru told me he did once when he had lost someone close..."

Kabuto closed his eyes, sighing into Sakura's hair, finding himself lucky to find this situation to be a little less awkward, "All right..."

With little warning, and with giving him barely time to put on his shoes and jacket, she took him by the wrist and led him up to the roof. Gently, Sakura led him to lay down beside her, fingers barely touching his.

"The stars are beautiful, huh?"

"Yeah...they are. Sakura...what did you mean by I'm shattered?"

"Look! I spotted Orion's Belt! Maybe we can piece together the rest of Orion."

"Sakura."

"Maybe tonight we can see a shooting star. That would be wonderful. What would be your--"

Sakura stopped speaking when she felt Kabuto's hand moving her face so her eyes met his. "Sakura...what did you mean by I'm shattered? Answer me," he said firmly, onyx eyes staring behind glass into surprised emerald. Sakura stared back for a few seconds, then looked away, "Your heart is shattered. Chairman Orochimaru is gone, the one that gave you a reason to continue on when all hope was lost. So you locked yourself away in your studio, determined that nothing will ever heal the pieces and that no one could ever replace him."

She looked back him, smiling softly, "But you know what? You can't be shattered forever. There's going to be sunlight one day to pick up the pieces."

He was taken aback by her sudden words, watching as she turned back to the stars. _'Sakura...why do you care so much for me...and can say things so calmly?'_ he asked himself, his fingers moving subconsciously close to hers to the point where his started to intertwine with hers.

_'Shattered...and sunlight...Sakura...'_

_

* * *

_When Kabuto woke up the next morning, he found himself still on the roof with Sakura curled against him, his hand still connected with hers.

_'We fell asleep up here...?'_ he thought groggily, sitting up and looking down at the rosette beside him. His breath caught for a second as he took notice of her: hair falling gracefully into her face and sunlight beaming over her almost angelically, innocently. _'Sakura...she's so...' _he thought for a moment, almost finding the thought to be unbelievable

Gently he brushed the hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear. "Sakura...you told me I was shattered...but one day there was going to be sunlight to pick up the pieces..." he said softly, gripping to her hand a little tighter, "I wonder..."

Sakura began to stir and move, yawning as she opened her eyes. "Mmm...morning already?" she asked innocently as she sat up, then took notice of her surroundings, "Oh! Kabuto! I'm sorry! I must have kept you up here all night! Oh! And I'm sorry! I curled up next to you, didn't I?"

"It's all--"

"I'm sorry! I guess I have a habit of curling to one side when I sleep, and since you were on my side, I curled against you! I'm so so sorry if I caused you awkwardness!"

"Saku--"

"I didn't even know we fell asleep up here! That was weird; I'm surprised that we really did with outdoor noise and the chilly night air and all."

"Sakura..."

"I bet the others are--"

Her breath caught and her voice ceased to work as Kabuto's lips sealed over hers. Her emerald eyes were wide open, surprised by the sudden motion of her companion.

"You know..." he whispered, pulling away after a few moments, "you really need to know when to listen." He smirked at her flabbergasted face, cheeks flushed deep pink, and almost laughed at her sudden lack for words. He just gripped her hand a little more.

"Hopefully as Chairman, you'll listen to me a little more often."

Sakura's eyes glowed in realization, "Chairman!? Kabuto...you mean...you're going to...?" With a smile, he nodded, "Yeah...I don't know if I'm exactly ready for it, but..."

"With you, and the others by my side, I'm sure I'll be able to do it. After all, that's what Chairman Orochimaru wanted, right?"

She smiled brightly, "Of course! And I promise to stay by your side and help you in all the ways I can. I know you will be a great Chairman, Kabuto. I know it."

Kabuto just chuckled as he looked up towards the sky, an arm on a bended knee, "Yeah." Sakura smiled, sitting close to him, then laughed much to the curiosity of the silver-haired man.

"What's so funny?"

"I was right. You did find your sunlight."

"Heh...yeah, I did...I found it..."

Sakura became silent again, surprised as he took her lips tenderly. The surprise quickly passed as she closed her eyes and returned the affection just as lovingly.

_'I found it in you...thank you Sakura.'_

_Yesterday I died; tomorrow's bleeding  
Fall into your sunlight_

_

* * *

_Whew, 9 pages long! Anyway, that's it for Your Sunlight! Hope you enjoyed the story!


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